Many English learners feel afraid to speak English in front of others. This is a common problem, especially at the beginning of learning English or any new foreign language.
The main reason for this fear is that learners think other people will laugh at their mistakes. In this article, we will share some tips and steps to help you overcome this fear and speak English with confidence.
1. Hide Your Shyness
When you start working on your fear, try to hide your shyness. Show people that you are not afraid to speak English and that making mistakes is normal. If you look shy or nervous, some people might make comments, and this will make you feel more anxious.
2. Understand Why You Are Afraid
To overcome your fear, you need to understand why you feel afraid. Most of the time, the fear comes from worrying that others will laugh at your mistakes. This fear makes the problem worse because your mind focuses on fear instead of forming correct sentences.
Think about this: If you had an American friend learning Arabic, and they spoke with an American accent, would you laugh at them? Of course not! You would encourage them. In the same way, native English speakers will not laugh at you. Instead, they will appreciate your effort.
3. Do Not Compare Yourself to Others
Comparing yourself to others will only make you feel worse. The people who speak English fluently today were once beginners, too. They made many mistakes and had embarrassing moments. But with practice, they became better. If you practice, you will improve as well.
4. Listen to a Lot of English
Listening to English is the first step to speaking it. Before you can speak well, you need to hear English often. Listen to English conversations, and you will naturally start remembering phrases and vocabulary.
5. Copy Native English Speakers
When you imitate native speakers, you will feel more confident because you sound like them. This will help remove your fear and increase your self-confidence when speaking English.
6. Speak with One Person, Not a Group
At the beginning of your journey, it is easier to practice speaking with one person instead of a group. When speaking in a group, people talk fast, and you might struggle to understand them.
A great way to find a language partner is by joining Facebook groups where foreigners learn Arabic. You can post a message asking for an American or British person to practice English with you in exchange for helping them with Arabic.
This method works well because the other person will speak slowly and will not laugh at your mistakes since they know you are learning.
7. Make a Clear Plan to Improve Your Speaking
One reason people fear speaking English is that they are not confident in their skills. The solution is to create a plan to improve your speaking ability.
Your plan should be clear and measurable. For example, decide to practice conversations about shopping on Thursday and conversations about the internet on Sunday. Download videos of native speakers talking about these topics, listen to them repeatedly, and imitate them. When you master one topic, move to another. This way, you will eventually speak fluently without fear.
8. Nobody Is Perfect
Many people feel afraid because they think others are perfect, but this is not true. Nobody is perfect. Even native English speakers make mistakes when speaking. Just like we make mistakes when speaking our native language, they also make mistakes in English. So do not be afraid to make mistakes; they help you improve.
9. Turn Problems into Opportunities
The main reason people fear speaking English is the fear of making mistakes. But mistakes are actually a good thing! They help you learn.
Try this: Record yourself speaking English, then listen to your recording. Identify your mistakes in pronunciation, sentence structure, and grammar. Work on improving these areas, and over time, your speaking skills will improve.
10. Talk to Yourself First
If you feel too afraid to talk to others, start by talking to yourself. Stand in front of a mirror and pretend that your reflection is a foreigner. Have a conversation with this “person.”
You can also use your phone’s front camera to record yourself speaking. At first, this may feel strange, but it is a great way to practice and build confidence before talking to real people.
Conclusion
These tips will help you overcome your fear of speaking English. If you found this article helpful, share it with your friends and in English learning groups to help others who have the same problem.
